Coleus plant named ‘UF17-52-13’

ABSTRACT

‘UF17-52-13’ is a new  Coleus  plant, selected because it has a highly desirable combination of novel traits. It has leaves colored dark maroon with chartreuse margins and with superior stability in both sun and shade. The highly lobed shape of the large leaves is extremely uniform across the plant throughout development, and the leaves are larger than most plants of this leaf type. It has excellent lateral branching, thus providing ample vegetative propagules for producers. It has a vigorous spreading form, growing more horizontal than vertical, which allows it to fill space with vibrant color very quickly in summer gardens. This plant has not been observed to produce flowers in any trial to date, thus it is desirable for long-season performance in the landscape. This trait is particularly valuable for large-scale commercial landscape plantings.

Genus and species: Coleus scutellarioides.

Cultivar denomination: The present disclosure relates to Coleus cultivar‘UF17-52-13’.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

N/A.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF FEDERAL RESEARCH SUPPORT

N/A.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

Coleus (previously Solenostemon scutellarioides or Plectranthusscutellarioides, now Coleus scutellarioides) plants are used as annualbedding plants for the landscape and mixed containers in summer gardens.Coleus plants are popular for commercial growers and landscapers becausethey are easy to propagate and provide fast and reliable attractivefoliage color that performs well at all points in the perishable gardenplant supply chain. Coleus plants are also popular with home gardenersbecause they are easy to grow in both full sun and partial shadeconditions, and require less maintenance than many other annual gardenplants. From the breeder perspective, there is much genotypicvariability in Coleus because it is a tetraploid with active transposonsand there are a number of different visible phenotypes including foliagecolor, leaf shape and size, plant height, time to flowering, and growthhabit.

The Coleus breeding program in Gainesville, Fla., was initiated in 2003with an emphasis on developing new clonally propagated cultivars thatare profitable for producers and perform well in consumer gardens withlittle or no care. Using recurrent mass selection and maintaining alarge pool of germplasm our program has released over 85 new cultivarsinto the industry since 2007. The Coleus breeding program has focused onscreening for new cultivars with novel leaf colors and shapes, increasedvigor and branching, and late flowering, by conducting greenhouse andfield trials under demanding environmental conditions. Greenhouse trialsunder “lush” conditions that push the plants to grow as fast as possiblewith high amounts of light, high fertility and high temperatures areused because these conditions allow for rapid discernment of growthhabits and vigor characteristics, and also facilitate observation ofplant phenotypes under conditions where greenhouse pathogen and insectpressure is highest. A first group of field trials in Citra, Fla., areplanted in full sun in sand beds with plastic mulch in May-June eachyear with drip irrigation, minimal added fertilizer, and no chemicalcontrol for insects or pathogens. A second group of field trials inCitra, Fla., are planted in 30% shade in sand beds in May-June each yearwith drip irrigation and a minimal amount of slow-release fertilizeradded at planting. These “lean” growing conditions are used in the fieldtrials to screen for plants that grow vigorously and consistently forminimalist gardeners. Coleus produces a better seed crop under “lean”conditions than “lush” conditions, which is useful for makingopen-pollinated seeds. Since data is collected on a large number ofgenotypes (˜600-800 per year), each trial only contains 1-3 plants pergenotype. If a genotype performs poorly in any trial it is automaticallydiscarded from the program, leaving ˜200-250 genotypes in the program aselite stock at the end of each year.

Desirable characteristics that continue to be in demand a decade afterfirst commercial introductions are: (1) foliage color stability in sunand shade; (2) consistent well-branched plant habit; and (3) lateflowering. Improved plants with interesting foliage colors in both fullsun and shade conditions allow for more versatile garden use and morecolor choices for gardeners. Superior well-branched plant habit isimportant throughout the production chain from the propagator/grower tothe consumer, which allows for production of a large number ofvegetative propagules and translates into more manageable plants forproducers during culture and shipping to retail outlets. Once planted inthe garden, these well-branched plants require less management over along season of growth. Late flowering is a desirable characteristicbecause early flowering triggers senescence of the lower leaves anddecreases foliage quality of Coleus. Floral induction often slowsvegetative growth, and increases landscape maintenance with manualdead-heading and plant replacement, which is vital to landscapecontractors. Late or ‘no flowering’ genotypes with good branching andstable foliage color that have been developed in Gainesville, Fla., haveperformed well in commercial markets, and continue to attract interestfrom US, European, and Asian gardeners. The plant disclosed herein wasselected because it has many of these desirable traits.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Coleus plantnamed ‘UF17-52-13’. The new cultivar ‘UF17-52-13’ originated from anopen pollination conducted in May-November 2016 in Gainesville, Fla.,between the female Coleus plant ‘UF16-39-4’ (unpatented) and an unknownmale Coleus plant. A single seedling was chosen in May 2017 for furtherasexual propagation in Gainesville, Fla.

The new cultivar ‘UF17-52-13’ has been reproduced asexually for overeighteen (18) months through vegetative cuttings and has been found toretain its distinctive characteristics through successive asexualpropagations. ‘UF17-52-13’ was first propagated asexually by meristemtip cuttings in May, 2017, in Gainesville, Fla., and has remainedtrue-to-type since that time.

The new Coleus cultivar ‘UF17-52-13’ has not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype of the new cultivar mayvary with variations in environmental and cultural practices such astemperature, light intensity, fertilization, irrigation, and applicationof plant growth regulators without any change in genotype.

Plant Breeder's Rights for ‘UF17-52-13’ have not been applied for. Thenew cultivar ‘UF17-52-13’ has not been made publicly available prior tothe filing date of this application.

The new cultivar ‘UF17-52-13’ was selected because it has unique, highlylobed-shape leaves that are larger than normal cultivars of this type,and because it has not been observed to produce flowers in any field orgreenhouse trials. It performs well in sun and shade and has excellentvigor to withstand the harsh selection conditions our plants aresubjected to in full sun trials in Gainesville, Fla. The new cultivar‘UF17-52-13’ is exceptional because it maintains both distinct colors inwell-defined zones in shade or sun.

The following are the most outstanding and distinguishingcharacteristics of the new cultivar ‘UF17-52-13’ when grown under normalhorticultural practices in Gainesville, Fla.: the new cultivar‘UF17-52-13’ has the combination of vigorous, well-branched, uprightgrowth habit, excellent heat tolerance, and leaves consistently coloreddark maroon with chartreuse margins, and the leaves are significantlydifferent than other Coleus plants (large leaves that are highly lobed).It has superior stability in foliage color in both sun and shadeconditions, maintaining stable color in all conditions. It grows fasterthan most Coleus plants, thus requiring a week less production time forcommercial producers to go to market. The new cultivar ‘UF17-52-13’ hasbeen observed to have long-season performance in landscape trials inGainesville, Fla.

When compared to the female parent ‘UF16-39-4’, plants of the new Coleuscultivar ‘UF17-52-13’ have large leaves that are highly lobed, and theleaves are dark maroon with chartreuse margins. In contrast, plants of‘UF16-39-4’ have smaller leaves, colored dark maroon with green margins,that are only slightly lobed in shape. The new cultivar ‘UF17-52-13’ hasa very vigorous, well-branched, upright growth habit, whereas‘UF16-39-4’ is much less vigorous, and more spreading in form with lesslateral branching.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The accompanying photographs (as shown in FIGS. 1-3) illustrate theoverall appearance of the new Coleus cultivar ‘UF17-52-13’. Thesephotographs show the colors as true as can be reasonably obtained byconventional photographic procedures. Colors shown in the photographsmay differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailedbotanical description, which accurately describe the colors of the newColeus cultivar. FIGS. 2 and 3 were taken from plants grown nine (9)weeks from unrooted cuttings in September-November 2020 in aglass-covered greenhouse in Gainesville, Fla.

FIG. 1 shows the pedigree of the claimed plant;

FIG. 2 shows the growth habit, form, and foliage of the claimed plant;and

FIG. 3 shows a close-up of the foliage of the claimed plant.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE CULTIVAR

The following detailed description sets forth the distinctivecharacteristics of the new Coleus cultivar ‘UF17-52-13’. Colorreferences are made to The Royal Horticultural Society (R.H.S.) ColourChart, 2007 (5^(th) Edition).

Description of Growing Conditions

The detailed description was obtained using nine-week-old plants grownfrom unrooted cuttings in September-November 2020 in a glass-coveredgreenhouse in Gainesville, Fla. The plants were propagated in mist forten (10) days after cuttings were stuck, then grown in one-gallon potsfor approximately seven and a half additional weeks.

Botanical Description

-   Botanical classification:    -   -   Family.—Lamiaceae.        -   Botanical name.—Coleus scutellarioides.        -   Common name.—Coleus.        -   Cultivar.—‘UF17-52-13’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female or seed parent.—‘UF16-39-4’.        -   Male or pollen parent.—Unknown.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cuttings.—Vegetative meristems having at least one            node.        -   Time to initiate roots.—3-4 days.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—7-10 days.-   Root description: Callus forms in 2-3 days, roots initiate in 3-4    days, and roots become a highly branched cutting in 7-10 days.    -   -   Rooting habit.—Fibrous.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form.—Spreading.        -   Growth habit.—Upright, well-branched.        -   Plant height (from top of soil).—28-30 cm.        -   Plant width (horizontal plant diameter).—58-62 cm.        -   Branches.—Quantity per plant: 7-8. Branch color: RHS 141C            (medium green). Texture: Smooth. Pubescence: Not present.            Branch diameter: 0.5-0.7 cm at the base of a 28-cm-long            branch. Branch length: 24-26 cm. Internode length: 3-4 cm.            Anthocyanin: Not present. Stem description: Square-shaped            stem, 1.0 cm in diameter at the soil line.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Quantity of leaves per branch.—20-22. Arrangement: Opposite.        -   Fragrance.—Not fragrant.        -   Shape.—Ovate.        -   Length.—10-12 cm.        -   Width.—8-10 cm.        -   Apex.—Broadly acute.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Deeply lobed.        -   Leaf texture (both surfaces).—Smooth.        -   Pubescence (both surfaces).—Not present.        -   Venation color.—Upper surface: Proximal (base): RHS 141C            (medium green). Distal (tip): RHS 187A (dark red). Center:            RHS 186D (purplish pink). Lower surface: RHS 141D (light            green).        -   Venation pattern.—Upper surface: Reticulate. Lower surface:            Reticulate.        -   Color, immature leaf.—Upper surface: Base and center: RHS            177A (dark greyed orange). Margin: RHS 143B (light green).            Lower surface: Base: RHS 193D (light grey green). Margin:            RHS 143A (medium green).        -   Color, mature leaf.—Upper surface: Base and center: RHS 187A            (dark brown). Margin: RHS 143A (medium green). Lower            surface: RHS 143C (light green).        -   Petiole length.—2-3 cm.        -   Petiole diameter.—0.2-0.3 cm.        -   Petiole color.—RHS 143C (light green).        -   Petiole texture.—Smooth, no pubescence.-   Flowers and seeds: Flowers and seeds have not been observed.-   Fruit/seed set: Fruit/seed not observed.-   Disease and insect resistance: Disease and insect resistance is    typical of the species, thus no claims are made of any superior    disease or insect resistance with this cultivar. The most common    insect pests observed on this plant in Gainesville, Fla. have been    long-tailed or citrus mealybugs (Pseudococcus sp.), which occur on    older stock plant material held in the greenhouse for over 3-4    months. Impatiens Necrotic Spot Virus (Bunyaviridae) has also been    observed in plants confined in greenhouses with mixed crops    (peppers) infected with Western flower thrips (Frankliniella    occidentalis). The most common pathogen of this species in the U.S.    is downy mildew (Perononspora lamii). This pathogen has been    observed in stock materials grown closely together in cooler growing    seasons.

Comparison with Known Cultivars

Plants of the new Coleus cultivar ‘UF17-52-13’ can be compared to thoseof ‘UF17-73-7’ (commercial name Wicked Witch, not patented). The colorof the adaxial surface of mature leaves of ‘UF17-52-13 is RHS 187A (darkred) in the leaf center, with leaf margins and tip accents colored RHS143A (medium green). In contrast, the color of the adaxial surface ofmature leaves of ‘UF17-73-7’ is RHS 140A (yellow green) at the base thentransitions from RHS 61B (purple red) in the leaf center to RHS 77A (redpurple), then to RHS 140A (yellow green) at the leaf margins.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct Coleus scutellarioides plantnamed ‘UF17-52-13’ as shown and described herein.